The world’s greatest sporting pilgrimages

Motivational quotes by greatest athletes are peppered with “journeys” and “destinations” – but on top of gold medals, trophies and metaphorical roads to greatness, sport offers serious motivation for travel.

Whether it’s unique events in stunning settings or bucket list tournaments in hallowed grounds, fans around the world are flying into far-flung locations to make sporting pilgrimages they’ll never forget.

It’s now easier than ever to travel to watch your heroes compete, or catch the biggest events – like this summer’s Olympics in Paris – while enjoying everything that destination has to offer while you’re there.

So go ahead and book a trip to one of these sporting shrines, where the sights, sounds and scenery are as inspiring as the on-field action.

1. Rugby at the Hong Kong Sevens

Hong Kong SAR

Over the last 30 years, the jewel in Hong Kong’s sporting crown has become one of the hottest tickets in town: a three-day celebration of free- scoring, fast-paced rugby sevens. This year’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens (5-7 April) is the last at the iconic Hong Kong Stadium. Come for the party in the South Stand on Saturday; stay for the guaranteed drama of Sunday’s thrilling finals.

2. Cricket at the Dharamsala Cricket Ground

Dharamsala, India

As backdrops for sporting events go, there are few to rival the jaw-dropping beauty of the scenery surrounding Dharamsala Cricket Ground. The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium is cradled in the foothills of the Himalayas, ensuring that any occasion is unforgettable. The atmosphere becomes even more fevered when the national cricket team rolls into town, and passionate fans fill the 21,000-seater ground. It’s guaranteed to take your breath away. 

3. Muay Thai at Rajadamnern Stadium

Bangkok, Thailand

For almost 80 years, this 8,000-spectator coliseum has played home to the “art of eight limbs”, as Thailand’s national sport of Muay Thai is more poetically known. Built in 1945 as the first combat sports-specific arena in the world, Rajadamnern hosts fight cards every night of the week and offers something for everyone – from the VIP seats beloved by visiting celebrities to the frenzied gambling of the second floor. A live traditional Thai orchestra accompanies the fighting to add to the sensory overload.

4. Sumo at the Ryogoku Kokugikan

Tokyo, Japan

Inarguably both the spiritual and literal home of Japan’s iconic wrestling – kokugi means “national sport” and kan “arena” – this venue in Tokyo’s Ryogoku district is the centre of the sumo world. Besides the almost 11,000-seater stadium, into which fans cram to watch three of the country’s six annual 15-day grand slam tournaments from their tatami mats (every January, May and September), the surrounding streets host many of the country’s premier sumo stables – and restaurants serving the wrestler’s staple chanko nabe hot pot.

5. Horse racing at the Palio di Siena

Siena, Italy

As much a trip back in time to Medieval Tuscany as a sporting spectacle, this twice-yearly horse race in the old town square of Siena is an unparalleled experience. Visitors from all over the world flock to the picturesque town for a bareback horse race with riders representing the contrade, or city wards. The race lasts barely 90 seconds but is preceded by a historical costume parade. Whether experienced from a balcony rented from a local homeowner, or among the crowds packed into the baying throng in the middle of the Piazza del Campo, the Palio lives long in the memory.

6. Formula 1 Racing at the Monaco Grand Prix

Monaco

There are no arenas more glamorous in motorsport than the original F1 street circuit , which winds around 3km of Monaco’s roads, along its Mediterranean coastline. Feel the vibrations of the engines and the smell of burning rubber as the cars hurtle past the grandstands, balconies and superyachts that offer the best views of the race. And of course, don’t miss the opportunities for celeb-spotting and the glittering parties that surround this unforgettable event.

7. Cycling at the Tour de France

France

Most sporting events keep the punters separated from the action, but not the Tour de France . There’s no hyperbole in the name of cycling’s biggest race: a 3,500km journey across the length and breadth of the country, taking in the Pyrenées and Alps before culminating with a sprint down Paris’s famous Champs-Elysées (though not this year, for the first time ever, due to the Olympics ). For three weeks every summer, millions of spectators line the route and thousands of amateur cyclists follow the riders for an all-day, all-night festival atmosphere, fuelled by France’s finest food and drink.

8. Surfing at Huntington Beach

California, USA

Known as “Surf City, USA”, this 14km stretch of sunny southern California coast has played its siren song to surfers since the 1950s and is home to the week-long US Open of Surfing : the world’s biggest surfing event, which draws thousands of pros, amateurs and fans to the golden shore every summer. The mild climate means you can learn to shred on the same waves as some of the biggest names to ever hop on a board, or just soak up the sights of the locals taking to the water all year round.